Crucible-tongs.



No. 851,987. PATENTED APR. 30, 1907.

' W. H. HEWITT.

CRUCIBLE TUNGS. APPLIOATION FILED JAN.22.1906.

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WILLIAM H. HEWITT, OF CLEVELAND, OI-IIO.

CRUClBLE-TONGS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 22,1906. Serial No. 297,178.

Patented April 30, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HEWITT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Crucible-Tongs, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to tongs and particularly to crucible tongs, that is, to tongs such as are employed about foundries to remove crucibles or pets from remelting furnaces.

The object of my invention is to provide tongs of this character that may be readily accommodated to pots of different sizes and of irregular shapes, and that, furthermore, may be more easily and economically repaired than is the case with tongs at present in use. Other improved features are also presented by my invention as will appear later.

Said invention, then, consists of means hereinafter fully described and particularly set forth in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mech anism embodying the invention, said disclosed means constituting but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing: Figure 1 represents in perspective a pair of crucible tongs involving certain of my improvements; Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-section of one of the jaws or bits of such tongs showing an added feature in place; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged View of a portion of the same structure as is shown in Fig. 2.

As has been indicated, the specific use for which the tongs illustrated areintended, is for the lifting of crucibles or pets out of the remelting furnaces of a foundry and then carrying them to the molds or wherever else the molten metal contained in such crucibles is to be employed. The crucibles are made of various materials depending upon the particular metal being handled, but refractory sub stances, such as fire clay or black lead, are most frequently used. Vessels constructed of such'materials are, of course, quite fragile; their liability to breakage is further increased by the fact that no provision has heretofore been made, so

ing the tools, and particularly the tongs, used in handling such crucibles so as to adapt them to different sizes of crucibles. In attempting to hold a crucible or pet with tongs that do not conform approximately to its shape, such pot is apt to be subjected to undue strains; especially is this true in the case of pots that have been once used and that are warped more or less out of shape. Another di'l'liculty experienced in the use of crucible tongs is the frequency with which the jaws, or bits, require to be renewed, owing to their exposure to the high temperature of the furnace. In the ordinary type of tongs such renewal is only possible by sending them to the smith shop and having new jaws welded on.

t is with a view to remedying these difficulties as well as to render the tongs, when carrying a crucible, more easily manipulated, that I have devised the improvements about to be set forth.

My improved tongs, as shown in Fig. 1, comprise essentially two reins A respectively made up of a straight handle portion a, and an angular portion a. The angular portion a of each rein is provided with a plurality of longitudinally alined apertures 0) adapted to receive a pin a whereby such reins may be pivotally secured together. Pin a is also utilized to secure to the angular portions a of the reins, a clevis A, preferably of the form and disposition shown in the figure.

Each straight portion or handle a has a hook a allixed thereto at approximately its mid-point. In order not to weaken the h andles, laterally projecting lugs a are provided thereon to which the hooks are attached. Both hooks are on the same side of their respective handles and are rigidly fixed in place.

Upon the lower end of each rein, that 1s to the part extending beyond the angular portion a, is detachably mounted a jaw or bit B. To ell'ect such attachment each bit B is formed with a socket I) adapted to receive the lower end of the corresponding rein, the two members being secured together when properly positioned by means of bolts 7). As shown in the figure, socket b is open on one s1de in order to facilitate the fitting together of said two members; I do not, however, mean thereby to limit myself to that particular construction. Moreover, other means than bolts 1) may be employed to lock the members together, as for instance a key,

far as I am aware, for adjustor'a gib, and the particular point where rein and jaw are made thus separable need not be the one here chosen for the sake of illustration, since the jaw, or detachable member, may be made to include the angular portion a if desired. In order that the jaws may securely hold a pot or crucible, they are formed with laterally extending, oppositely dis osed pairs of arms or fingers I), prefer abl y two pairs to each jaw. These arms 6 are curved inwardly so as to conform with the curvature of the crucible or pot with which the tongs are to be most frequently employed. Such arms will obviously fit a crucible of a size other than this, only imperfectly, even though the distance between the jaws be properly adjusted by shifting the point of pivotal attachment of the reins. I obtain a more exact conformity of the arms with the crucible by means shown in Figs. 2 and 3. These means comprise primarily a flexible member 6 in the form of a straight steel strip disposed in front of each pair of arms 6 such member being rigidly attached at its mid-point to the jaw proper. Its ends are respectively adjustably secured to the extremities of said arms. To effect such attachment of the ends of member b a set screw 6 is mounted near the end of each arm,

which is reinforced locally as shown, so as to project an adjustable amount on the inner face of the arm. The inwardly projecting end of set-screw b is rounded so as to be adapted to slidably engage an elongated slot b located near the end of flexible member 6 The end of member 6 is held against disengagement from the end of set-screw b by means of a small machine screw 6, or similar flat-headed screw, inserted through slot 6 into the end of the set screw. The inner opening of the slot is reamed out so as to permit the head of screw 6 to lie flush with the face of member 6 and the ends of such member about slots 12 are also made somewhat heavier than the body portion in order to provide for the strain placed upon them, the inner face of each end of arms 6 being correspondingly recessed. Accordingly when the end of set-screw b is entirely withdrawn into arm 6 the end of member 6 rests snugly against the same.

Having thus described the construction of my improved crucible tongs, I shall indicate,

. so far as it is necessary, their manner of use.

The size of the crucible to which they are to be applied being known, the angular portions of the reins are moved together or drawn apart to make the distance between the jaws, when in their normal closed position, equal to the diameter of such crucible.

11 case this hap ens to be the diameter of the circle, to conf dr'm with which the arms of the jaw have been curved, the set screws 6 are turned so as to permit the ends of the flexible members 6 to lie against the ends of the arms. Otherwise, screws 71 areadjusted to hold the ends of flexible members 6 such a distance from arms 6 as will suflice to cause them to contact with the crucible as the jaws whole is made readily transportable by the insertion of a bar or rod in the hooks on the handles. The advantage residing in having the jaws detachably mounted upon the reins has already been pointed out. All the above features, it is accordingly seen, unite to produce a highly eflicient-type of tongs.

Having thus described my invention in detail, that which I particularly point out and distinctly claim is:

1. In a pair of crucible tongs, the combinati on with two reins pivotally secured together, of jaws mounted upon said reins, and flexible members borne by said jaws respectively and adapted to conform with the curvature of crucibles of diiferent sizes, each of said members being supported by the corre sponding aw at a plurality of points.

2. In a pair of crucible tongs, the combination with two reins pivotally secured together, of jaws mounted upon said reins, and flexible members borne by said jaws, each of said members being adjustably supported upon the corresponding aw. i

3. In a pair of crucible tongs, the combination of two reins each having an angular portion provided with a plurality-of apertures, a pin adapted to register in such apertures to pivotally secure said reins ous positions relatively to each other, whereby said tongs may be adjusted to crucibles of different diameters, and jaws mounted upon said reins, said jaws being adjustable to conform with the different curvatures of such crucibles.

4. In a pair of tongs, the combination of two reins pivotally secured together, jaws mounted upon said reins, and flexible members transversely disposed relatively to said jaws, said members being rigidly attached at their mid-points to said jaws and adjustably attached thereto at their ends.

5. In a pair of tongs, the combination of two reins adapted to be pivotally secured together at different points, jaws detachably mounted upon said reins, and flexible members transversely disposed relatively to said jaws, said members being rigidly attached at their mid-points to said jaws and adjustably attached thereto at their ends.

6. In a pair of tongs, the combination of two reins each having an angular portion together in variposed,laterally projecting, curved arms, having inwardly projecting set-screws mounted in their extremities,'of a flexible member secured at its mid-point to said jaw and having its ends slidably secured to said set-screws.

10. In a pair of crucible tongs, the combination of two reins each having an angular portion provided with a plurality of apertures, a pin adapted to register in such apertures to pivotally secure said reins together in variouspositions relatively to each other, whereby said tongs may be ad'usted to crucibles of provided with a plurality of apertures, a clevis adapted to receive such angular portions, a pin "fitted to said clevis and adapted to register in said reins to pivotally secure said reins together, jaws detachably mounted upon said reins, and flexible members transversely disposed relatively to said jaws, said members being rigidly attached at their midpoints to said jaws and adjustably attached thereto at their ends.

7. In a pair of crucible tongs, the combination with a jaw provided with oppositely disposed laterally projecting curved arms, of a flexible member disposed in front of said arms and rigidly attached at its mid-point to said jaw, and adjustably attached at its ends to said arms.

8. In a pair of crucible tongs, the combination with a jaw provided with oppositely disposed, laterally projecting, curved arms having inwardly projecting set-screws mounted in their extremities, of a flexible member secured at its mid-point to said jaw and having its ends resting against said set-screws.

9. In a pair of crucible tongs, the combination with a jaw provided with oppositely disdi'lferent diameters, jaws mounted upon sai reins, and flexible members transversely disposed relatively to said jaws, said members eing rigidly attached at their mid-points to said jaws and adjustably attached thereto at their ends whereby said jaws may be made to conform with the different curvatures of such crucibles.

Signed by me, this 19th day WILLIAM H. HEWITT.

of January Attest:

D. T. DAVIES, JNo. F. OBERLIN. 

